Happy Juneteenth!

It’s June 19,2020…. Juneteenth!

One of the central areas of focus for the courses I teach and the coaching I offer is LEGACY. The African American legacy in this country is more than the trials that we have experienced, more than the suffering. It is a legacy of bounce-back, triumph, strength against all odds, and excellence! On this day, I remember that legacy and it encourages me, as it should you, to continue to press on with hope and confidence.

And understanding of legacy is a recognition of the effect that history has on our present. The actions that we take today are because we are able to stand on the shoulders of the efforts of those who have come before us. How much do you know about the history of Juneteenth? How much do you recall about the legacy of that day?

What is the meaning of Juneteenth?

“Juneteenth” is a shortened form of “June Nineteenth”, the day, in 1865, when federal troops finally arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce that all slaves were indeed free. The Emancipation Proclamation was signed a full two years earlier, legislating their freedom. However, despite the Emancipation Proclamation, slavery continued to large degree in the South, in all areas where the Union troops had not taken control. Texas as considered a “safe haven” for slave owners, because the Union Army’s influence there was little to none. Many Confederates fled there during the war so as to continue to perpetuate the possession and oppression of the enslaved people.

It was not until June 19, 1865 that the approximately 250,000 slaves in Texas were effectively freed. Upon the arrive of the federal soldiers and this pronouncement of General Orders No. 3 by General Gordon Granger: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”¹celebrations broke out among the African-Americans across the state. It is significant that their liberation was met with celebration. That is not something that we should gloss over. How powerful is it that despite centuries of unlawful, immoral enslavement, their capacity to rejoice was not diminished!

A Legacy of Joy Despite Difficulty

So, what can we learn from this history? We’ve been through so much, for so long…. but we have always pressed through it all, anyhow.These are very challenging, painful times, but we MUST have hope. We must keep on pushing, pressing, trusting, and hoping…. through it all. Never lose hope!

The legacy of hope and joy, even in the midst of difficulty, is one that we should celebrate today. As the Black National anthem says, ““Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies….”

Rejoice family. Justice will prevail…. and “there is a bright side somewhere.”

Footnotes:

http://history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth#:~:text=Juneteenth%20%28short%20for%20%E2%80%9CJune%20Nineteenth%E2%80%9D%29%20is%20a%20holiday,effective%20end%20of%20slavery%20in%20the%20United%20States.